My mom, Marvel, inspired this blog, Living Marvelously.  She was a fun-loving woman with a spirit of kindness and joy.  She was taken away from us at age 66, with lots of life left to be lived.  That is why I write about making the most of our lives while we are lucky enough to still be here.  Marvel taught me many things, but these top 10 lessons from mom taught me about living marvelously and can hopefully teach you.

10 Lessons from Mom

Laugh

Laugh at yourself and with others.  Rarely did a day go by that we didn’t laugh as a family.  Even when we were going through tough times, my mom always lightened the mood and never wanted to see us sad.  She loved to tell jokes and had a great sense of humor.  Laughter is medicine.  Laughter puts you in the moment and creates immediate relaxation.  It will replace your stress and give you a moment to refocus.  If you feel unhappy, watch your favorite comedy, call a friend, rehash old times, read a joke book, or watch pet videos on YouTube!

Always be kind

Did you know that every time you do an act of kindness, it increases your own happiness? My mom used to work at the courtesy counter of our grocery store.  This was a perfect fit for her because she loved to welcome people to our store!  Several people told us at her funeral that she was the first person to welcome them to our town when they moved here.  She wanted others to feel good, which made her feel good in return.  There are so many ways to be kind.  Smile at a stranger, give your extra coins to a homeless person, buy a gift for Toys for Tots, hold the door open, buy someone a coffee, give compliments, or let someone else take your parking spot!

Care about how you look

Sometimes just combing your hair, putting a little lip gloss on, and getting out of your baggy sweats can make a world of difference to your mood. When you look good on the outside, you feel good on the inside. Marvel would get her hair “done” every week. She always wore her lipstick and always had matching earrings on.

She wasn’t trying to be someone else or look like the model on the cover of a magazine; she just wanted to look good enough in her eyes to feel good about herself.  Feeling good puts a little extra pep in your step, making it much easier to be kind to others.

Volunteer

Volunteering increases self-confidence and gives you a sense of pride and identity. My mom was a Pink Lady at our local hospital, taught religion for many years, and helped out with the youth golf program.  I’ve volunteered with our local United Way, with the schools as my children were growing up, helped form a local nonprofit to help people with cancer, and taught religion.  The possibilities are endless for volunteering.  You can use your own skills to teach others, help your neighbor, help raise money for a charity or donate your unused clothes, coats, and mittens.   Whatever you do, ensure your main reason is to help others and not make yourself look good.

Make sure your family knows you love them

Tell them, hug them, call them, and be the first to wish them a Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary. My mom always told us she loved us. She was famous for using the word “More” to ensure we knew!  It’s important that we know we are loved and have support from our family. Loving someone means wanting them to do well and accepting them for who they are.  Some of my mom’s last words before she died was to tell us six kids that she loved us all equally.  She accepted each one of us for who we were.  What a gift and a beautiful life lesson from mom!

Forgive others

Along with loving us all, my mom also told us that she forgave us all. We each probably have our own ideas of what that is for, but what a treasure that was to know she was leaving us with peace of mind.  Forgiveness does not mean forgetting but releasing the anger and negative emotions you hold.  According to the Mayo Clinic, forgiveness brings with it plenty of health benefits, such as improved relationships, decreased anxiety and stress, lower blood pressure, and stronger immune and heart health.  All things that can improve your life!

Spread Christmas Joy

Christmas was one of my mom’s favorite holidays. She had so many decorations.  It took days to set them all up.  Her favorites were the light-up Santas that danced or sang songs.

Her grandchildren loved them!  Our Christmas Eve tradition was to eat lots of spaghetti and appetizers.  She would buy gifts for all of us and ensure we passed them out one at a time, so she could see everyone’s faces when they opened their gift.  She loved to make her family happy.  Christmas time is a great time to bring joy and happiness to others as well.  When you are out shopping, buy something extra for Toys for Tots, buy some extra food for the food shelf or help sponsor a family in need.

Dance

My mom danced whenever she could, and she would dance with anyone who was willing to dance with her! There were many occasions when we were dancing, and my dad couldn’t get her off the dance floor.  It made her so happy!  Little did she know, dance also improves your balance and flexibility and is an outlet for your emotions.  It puts you in a good mood!  So next time you feel down, turn on your favorite music and dance like no one is watching.

Related Post: Why I Started Living Marvelously

Play

The definition of play is to be social in an unstructured way. It is to do an activity for no point but to have fun and enjoy yourself.  Some of my mom’s favorite ways to play were golfing, bingo, going out with family and friends, traveling, bowling, shopping, and playing bridge or euchre.  Being social with others allows you to temporarily forget your troubles. You begin having fun which raises your vibration and energy. It gives you an outlet from work and balances your life. This is one of my favorite lessons from mom and one I want to do more often.

Go with the Flow

I’m not sure my mom knew what this meant, but she always said it. If I was stressed out about my husband, kids, or work and called mom to complain, she would always tell me to “Go with the Flow.”  This was always frustrating because I wanted her to sympathize with me and fix my problem.  Instead, she told me to let go and see what God or the Universe was telling me.  Be open to other ways of finding an answer or solution to my problems.  Tap into the energy around me and flow with it!  How do you do that? One way is meditation.  That is a scary word for some and will be the topic of a future post.  Let’s just say I am not great at it, but I am learning ways to “listen”!

Thank you for reading the 10 lessons from mom. What lessons have your parents taught you?  Journal about them with the help of my worksheet below.  And, if your parents are still alive, let them know! I’d love to hear them, too. You can share them in the comments section below.

Lessons from your loved ones’ worksheet!